NHL 10 Review [360]

12 Oct 2009 at 16:18:02 by Andy Alderson
Systems used to review this title: (360)

Following the success of NHL ’09, it was always going to be difficult for EA Sports to meet expectations with its next hockey game. Like the FIFA franchise, EA’s NHL games have now reached an awkward stage; the last iteration was so good that, on the surface, it seems like there’s not a huge amount of room for improvement. As such, don’t expect much of an overhaul in NHL 10 – rather than rewrite the book, EA has instead added some footnotes and the result is a game which is slightly better than last year’s , if not vastly different.

So what’s different in NHL 10? On the gameplay front, not a whole lot. The core mechanics remain as tight as last year with superbly realistic skating, solid checking and a satisfying right stick shooting/dekeing system. New to NHL 10, however, is the board play mechanic which turns out to be a pretty useful defensive tool. Should you find yourself on the defensive with an opposition player taking the puck near to boards, you can slow up the play by pressing him against the plexiglass with the Y button. From there you essentially have a minigame to contend with – the defensive player can try to win the puck by releasing Y and attempting to poke check the puck free, while the attacker can try to kick the puck to a teammate with the pass button. Sadly the game does not allow a third player to steam in and smash them both to bits with a brutal cross check. No matter how hard we tried. The boardplay is a nice addition to the core gameplay and, while it occasionally feels as if you’re drawn into a board struggle artificially, on the whole it adds to the already-impressive level of realism in the game.

Also new to NHL 10 is first person fighting.  Instigating fights works in the same way as before by tapping the Y button, but then the camera zooms in and you’ll find yourself face to toothless face with your opponent. Moving the left stick controls your player’s lateral movement, allowing you to dodge punches while flicking the right stick upwards throws a punch. A back and forth motion on the right stick results in a power punch you can also drag your opponent towards you to get a little more power in your shot. The new fighting system looks good, is nicely animated and does a good job of drawing you into the action but, if we’re being honest, it’s little more than a distraction outside of the multiplayer game. AI players rarely start fights and, with fighting being punishable with a five minute major penalty, you’ll be reticent to throw down in closely-fought matches.

One new addition which has a more profound influence on the gameplay is the style system. You can now change the game style to casual, default, normal and hardcore to taste which will affect the overall feel of the game. Variables include speed, passing accuracy, penalties and while you can stick to the presets you can also create and download your own using the slider system. It’s a smart move by EA to give the community a chance to tweak the gameplay to their hearts’ desire and already there are new Tuner Sets available for download.

However, while EA has made small steps forwards with the gameplay mechanics, it feels as if, in terms of presentation, NHL 10 isn’t too different from its predecessor. Although there are new modes to explore - like one which allows you to jump straight into the Stanley Cup playoffs – you can’t help but feel the new content doesn’t feel as...well, new or exciting as it did in NHL 09. The game’s standout modes Be a Pro and Be a GM have received a few tweaks but both still feel like they’re lacking something. The former for instance, now includes an equipment boost system (alongside player growth) allowing you to unlock new equipment which will give your stats a slight boost (each with boost slots) like in Tiger Woods 10. However, it’s a little disappointing that EA hasn’t developed the Be a Pro mode more in NHL 10. As before (and like in FIFA 10) while the core Be a Pro gameplay is well-realised it could do with a presentation overhaul. Between games it’s all boring emails from the coach and watching the calendar – you never really feel like you’re participating in a real hockey world. There’s no effort to hype the big games or to create and fuel rivalries, something which would undoubtedly add a little depth and context to the mode.

However, with all this in mind, it’s undeniable that NHL 10 plays the best game of hockey on the market. It’s by far the most authentic hockey experience and feels more realistic – and fun – than its main rival. If you do not yet own a hockey game, look no further than NHL 10. But – and this is where things get complicated – for the dedicated hockey fans who already own NHL 09, is there enough new content in NHL 10 to justify a purchase? Well, we like the new boardplay and fighting mechanics and the after whistle intimidation is fun, if a little unrealistic – you can now check the hell out of your opponents when the game is stopped – it all feels a little cosmetic. The game undoubtedly has an excellent game engine at its heart and we’d like to see a greater level of innovation in the presentation and the game modes.

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